Post War Lionel F-3 Power Trucks

[AT4]

Hi everyone, does anyone have easy way to get the wheels away from the power truck far enough so you can get wheel puller on? I have tried many methods from prying with large screw driver to punching on the axle. All of these run risk of damage to either bending an axle, axle busjing or wheel. I was thinking some type of wedge if something like that is avaiable. I have tried diffrent wheel pullers put they all require more space than is avaiable bwteen the truck frame and wheel.

[T-man]

I know this is an old thread and the OP has been gone a few years. I cannot resist.

 F-3 trucks are brittle and need a good wheel puller to get them off without breaking.
I circumvented this method buy using ordinary putty knives that are slotted for the axle.
You just work the knife under the wheel and then use the other one from the opposite side.

With the handle sticking out, I suspend the whole truck, usually on an open vise.
Then I tap the axle out of the wheel and catch the truck with a small drift pin
The flats of the putty knives take all the pressure off the edge of the wheel.

If you use a wheel puller I would like to know about it